Materialise has announced that the ownership of its eyewear business is being transferred to its management team.
The agreement, according to a press release, was made as part of the Belgian additive manufacturing company's steps to 'sharpen its portfolio and to further concentrate capital and resources on its core focus areas.' It follows a similar decision earlier this year to sell its RapidFit business, which specialises in custom 3D printed jigs, fixtures, and quality-control solutions, primarily for the automotive and manufacturing industries, to its management team. The company believes this new setup for both companies will 'best support their next phase of growth.'
The financial terms of the transaction were not publicly disclosed but Materialise said it will retain a minority stake in the newly formed eyewear company. It also confirmed that all employees currently supporting the eyewear business will transition to the new company formed in connection with the transfer.
Materialise CEO Brigitte de Vet-Veithen commented, “Following the sale of our Rapidfit business at the end of March of this year, we have now also reached an agreement to transfer our eyewear activities to the business’s management team. We believe these decisive portfolio actions will allow Materialise to further concentrate capital and resources on its core focus areas, while enabling both Rapidfit and Eyewear to operate in a setup that will best support their next phase of growth.”
Materialise says it expects to recognise impairment charges in the second quarter of 2026 related to the transaction.
Materialise has been at the forefront of 3D printed eyewear applications for over a decade, having produced several hundred thousand frames for around 80 different brands, per an interview with TCT back in 2024. The company has established partnerships with eyewear brands like Hoya, Impressio and Hoet to deliver novel customisation experiences to consumers at retail, as well as luxury names like Porsche and McLaren, which have leveraged its technology for celebratory collections.
